In the middle ages the town of Bernau on the outskirts of Berlin was surrounded by a fortified…read moredefensive wall 8 meters high and 1.5 kilometers long. Built in the second half of the 15th century, the Steintor ("Stone Gate") is a perfect example of late Gothic brick architecture common in the areas formerly known as Prussia. Only one of the city's three elaborate gates has survived to this day. This picturesque city gate is made up of two towers: die Pulver- und Hungertürme ("the Gunpowder- and Hunger Towers").

This was my second Concentration Camp experience and my hubby's first. He didn't really want to go,…read morebut ended up being fascinated by everything he saw. It's a large camp. Very large, with a lot of walking. You purchase your tickets and then walk down a long lane to the actual entrance. The entrance is flanked on one side by house that once housed the commandant of the camp and his family, and is now a small museum. The other building is an exhibit type of hall. Of course, you walk through a gate with the infamous words ARBEIT MACHT FREI (work sets you free). Once inside the camp, barracks, offices, the morgue, the kitchen, the crematorium, the roll call area and a cemetery (not to be confused with a larger cemetery located down the road from the camp), are among the sites you can tour. It literally took us the entire time the camp was open to see everything. In fact, we actually got locked it the cemetery at closing and a gruff man, who feigned not being able to speak English, was upset that he had to retrieve us. We weren't happy about it either, sir! Of course the cemetery was across the entire property from the entrance, so we had to not only hoof it through the gate, but back to the area where you purchase tickets. Did I mention it was raining and we were soaked to the bone? My one regret is not being able to pick up a book about the camp while there. If you've never been to a camp, this is a good one to go to. Although large, it is extremely informative and does a good job educating the public about what went on inside the camp. I do recommend bringing tissues, just in case. 87/2025

Visiting the Sachsenhausen Memorial Museum was a truly sobering and humbling experience. Learning…read moreabout the Holocaust and WWII in school is one thing, but standing on the very ground where so many souls rest was deeply emotional. The museum is located in Oranienburg, about 20 miles outside Berlin. It was an easy one-hour train ride, followed by a 10-minute bus ride or a 20-minute walk from the train station. Entry to the museum is free, and an audio guide costs €3. They have a cafe where you can take a break and get a drink or something to eat, as well as restrooms inside. Sachsenhausen was the first concentration camp and primarily imprisoned political opponents. We opted for a self-guided tour with the audio guide and spent about 1.5 to 2 hours walking the grounds. We were not able to walk through the memorial due to it being closed from storm damage. We were able to walk through one of the barracks where they housed Jewish prisoners; one of them was turned into a museum that shows the history of these Jewish prisoners. The prison camp had some cells that were turned into memorial sites. I had to hold back tears walking past the Camp Wall, which depicts the murder of approximately 13,000 Soviet prisoners and leads directly to the Execution Trench and the grave field that still has ashes from the crematorium. It's difficult to write a review about an experience like this. They have done a great job keeping up and preserving the grounds. I highly recommend visiting if you are in Berlin and interested in WWII history.